


The Rise and Fall of Empires

by rox_fanfics



Series: The Earth and His Soldier [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Author Is Not Religious, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Cute, Immortal Steve Rogers, Immortality, Immortals, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Non-Serum Steve Rogers/Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes | Shrinkyclinks, POV Steve Rogers, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Steve, Quote: I'm with you 'til the end of the line, Steve Feels, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, i guess, idk - Freeform, immortal beings, steve is kind of a god
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:33:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26633674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rox_fanfics/pseuds/rox_fanfics
Summary: Sitting down by a lake in what he assumed was France, based on the current world maps, Steve felt a presence behind him. It was a man, as far a he could tell, and he was alone.“I’m not a soldier, if you’re wondering,” Steve said, dipping his fingers into the water and feeling it warm up as touched it. The man behind him seemed, startled that Steve had sensed him, and he couldn’t be blamed for that. Steve had always been able to sense these things.“How can I be sure?” The man asked, walking closer to Steve with light footsteps.Steve chuckled, “I know better than to get tied up in this nonsense, it will all be considered ancient history in two centuries,” he dipped his feet into the lake, humming happily as the water adjusted to his preferred temperature.~Steve is basically an immortal being who falls in love with Bucky during WW2 only to find him in the modern world again
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: The Earth and His Soldier [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2029240
Comments: 66
Kudos: 235





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got tested for COVID and got negative results, so I wrote this while in quarantine

Steven Grant Rogers had lived through more history than many could ever know. He had seen monarchs from all nations rise and fall, nations founded, and wars won and lost. 

He had seen the people around him die, but he never felt bad about it. He knew that he would live forever, and he knew that humans didn’t have that blessing. 

Though it felt like a curse most days. 

As Steve wandered through war-torn Europe of the 1940s, he tried not to focus on the sounds of gunfire in the distance. 

Being immortal hadn’t made Steve perfect. It had kept him in perfect health, but he had always had a small build. He had been laughed at many times by mortals when he had told them about his life, but it hadn’t been difficult to dispose of them. 

Even though Steve was small, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t powerful. 

If he ever desired, Steve could make oceans part before him, make mountains crumble, or set forests ablaze. 

He rarely did these things, however, because it made the humans so upset when they couldn’t explain things to themselves. 

So he wandered through war-torn Europe, furrowing his brows every time he saw the beautiful scenery marred with death and blood of young men who would be forgotten in meer decades. 

Sitting down by a lake in what he assumed was France, based on the current world maps, Steve felt a presence behind him. 

It was a man, as far a he could tell, and he was alone. 

“I’m not a soldier, if you’re wondering,” Steve said, dipping his fingers into the water and feeling it warm up as touched it. 

The man behind him seemed, startled that Steve had sensed him, and he couldn’t be blamed for that. Steve had always been able to sense these things.

“How can I be sure?” The man asked, walking closer to Steve with light footsteps. 

Steve chuckled, “I know better than to get tied up in this nonsense, it will all be considered ancient history in two centuries,” he dipped his feet into the lake, humming happily as the water adjusted to his preferred temperature. 

The man behind him seemed to grow defensive based on his stance, though Steve still hadn’t looked at him. 

“Well I’m not going to let these asshole Nazis get away with what they’re doing, and you shouldn’t either-”

“I never said that I wasn’t doing anything,” Steve sighed, laying back onto the grass and closed his eyes, letting out a content sigh, “I simply said that I wasn’t a soldier. That’s what you were worried about, right? That I might be an enemy?”

The man didn’t say anything for a couple minutes before walking closer to Steve and sitting next to him in the grass. 

“Sorry,” he muttered, “I’m just really stressed about this whole thing. I’ve got a family back home, and I need to make it back to them,” 

Steve opened his eyes and looked at the man for the first time. He was gorgeous, no doubt about it, with his thick brown hair and defined jawline. 

He found himself looking at the man for longer than necessary before speaking again, “I suppose you’re one of those Americans who decided to join the war effort to make your children proud, there are a lot of you,” Steve closed his eyes again, envisioning this perfect man with his perfect wife with their perfect children, going off to be the perfect soldier. 

The man let out a laugh, “Nope, no kids for me, I probably won’t ever have kids, if I’m being honest,”

Steve looked at the man again, but closer this time. 

If he focused long enough and hard enough, Steve could usually see the desires of a human, which was useful when he decided who to trust. 

This man had a common desire that Steve had seen too many times before. 

“You want a world where men can love men,” he mumbled, then looked to see the blood drain out of the other man’s face. 

“W-what? I- I don’t know what you-”

“Relax, do you realize that homosexuality is found in most animal species on the planet? It’s especially common among penguins, they’re quite adorable,” Steve smiled to himself, remembering the funny little birds he had seen a few decades ago. 

He should visit them again. 

The man still looked to be in a state of shock, which was something Steve had grown used to through the centuries. 

“How did you know?” The man asked softly, making Steve smile. 

“I know a lot of things, more than you’d be able to comprehend, but I do know that liking men has never been a bad thing. In ancient Greece, they had many gods and goddesses who loved the same gender. Apollo was known for being quite the flirt with all people,” Steve smirked, remembering all of the stories of the sun god he had been so amused by. 

The man scoffed, “Of course, the one person to tell me it’s ok is a lunatic,” he went back to staring into the water, not touching it. 

Steve grinned, “Some might say that I’m a lunatic, others have tried to build shrines to me, and others have tried to capture me and use my power. That last one always happens during wars, and I’m wondering which side it will be this time,”

Being ‘captured’ by humans had been somewhat of a game for Steve as long as he could remember, which was quite a long time. 

He would make sure that someone from each side knew of his true identity and power, and then he would wait and see how long it took for each side to come for him. He would usually pitty them and pretend to be captured for a day or two before breaking out and repeating the whole process over when the next war came up. 

“Why would someone build a shrine for you? You look like you’re just some punk who wouldn’t hesitate to throw the first punch,” The man said. 

Steve felt his body shake as he laughed, so amused by the man’s words. 

“I haven’t been spoken to like that in a while, I think the last person who dared to talk back to me was, let me think, a dear friend of mine who died a few decades ago, Peggy Carter. She was an amazing woman, and wouldn’t defiantly be in the thick of this war if she was here today. Too bad she died of smallpox in 1867,” Steve sighed, remembering his old friend. 

The man sitting next to him looked at Steve strangely, “I’m starting to think that you’re not joking,” he muttered. 

Laughing, Steve sat up, locking eyes with the man, “My dear, I’m never joking,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live off of comments and kudos so please


	2. Chapter 2

The man seemed confused by Steve’s words, which he couldn’t blame him for, so Steve just smiled sweetly. He looked at the lake again put his fingers into the water, watching the steam rise up from the lake as the water warmed up to his liking. 

“Wh-what are you doing?” the man asked, looking back and forth between Steve and the steaming lake. 

Steve shrugged, “The water was cold, and I’ve never liked the cold,”

Feeling his clothes melt away, Steve slid into the warm water, humming quietly to himself. 

“Are you God?” the beautiful man asked as Steve looked back at him over his shoulder. 

Steve laughed lightly, tracing patterns in the water, “No, my dear, I am not God. I guess I could be considered  _ a _ god, but not  _ the _ god. I suppose in your human mind, I might be seen as a spirit more than a divine being,” 

“A spirit,” the man whispered, touching the water and looking transfixed at the warmth of it. 

Chuckling to himself, Steve swam in front of the man, resting his arms on the soldier’s legs, “I have to wonder what you’ll ask for. Humans usually request something from me, and just assume that I’ll give it to them,”

The man locked eyes with Steve, brow furrowed, “I’m not going to ask you for anything, I’ve never needed anyone’s help, and I’m not going to start now,”

Steve raised an eyebrow, tracing a pattern on the soldier’s exposed skin, “You’re not like others I have met, my dear. What’s your name?”

The soldier watched Steve’s fingers as they traced ancient symbols that had been forgotten for centuries on his skin, “My name is James Barnes, but everyone calls me Bucky,”

“James Barnes,” Steve traced the name with his tongue, letting the history of this man’s life wash over him as he said it. 

He had known many James’ in his life, but none had captured his attention quite like this one, “So, Bucky, why are you fighting this war? I can tell that you’re not from here, so why do you care?”

Bucky huffed, “I don’t like bullies,” he shrugged, “and the army pays me enough for me to send some home. I know that I’m capable, enough to help others, so why not use it?” 

Steve got out of the water, using the liquid to weave cloth to cover his lower half. He knew that humans had something against being naked, which Steve had never understood but respected all the same. 

“I’ve never liked bullies either,” Steve mused, “but it seems like most fights are won by them. I’ve tried to help the side I believe is better in most fights in history. The Russians did great in Stalingrad recently, and I do love the snow there that time of year, I might have changed the weather to suit my tastes, but who would know,”

The man stared at him for a second before he let out a little laugh, shaking his head, “Well, I’m glad you’re not on the Nazi’s side, or this conversation would go very differently,”

Steve raised an eyebrow, “How would the conversation be different, Bucky? Would you try to fight me? Kidnap me and take me back to your superiors? Act like you had never met me?”

Bucky sighed, crossing his legs, “I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be sitting here for another second if I thought you were a Nazi,”

“Admirable, but foolish,” Steve laid down on the grass, closing his eyes again. 

He felt Bucky get defensive, “How is that foolish?”

“You could use the enemy’s trust against them, if you keep your mouth shut. One thing you learn after living for millennia is that if you don’t say much, people will usually assume you agree with them,” Steve sighed. 

Bucky seemed to contemplate Steve’s words, “That sounds like something my sister would say, she’s pretty smart. She was top of her class last a knew, but mail hasn’t come in a few weeks,”

Steve closed his eyes, humans are strange with their families, often told to love them even when it wasn’t in their best interest. 

“You might not understand what it’s like to have siblings, being an immortal being and everything, but I really love her. She’s gonna be famous when she’s older,” Bucky smiled warmly. 

Looking at Bucky with a new appreciation, Steve traced his pronounced jawline with a thin finger, watching as the man shivered slightly. 

“You’re not like most humans I’ve met, Bucky. Are you sure you’re not going to ask for something? I’m feeling especially generous today, and I would go to great lengths for a beautiful man such as yourself,” Steve traced the curve of Bucky’s jaw with his finger, locking eyes with him. 

“Could I ask to see you again?” He said quietly, looking at the lake again. 

Steve grinned, gently tilting Bucky’s head to face him again. 

“I’d like that very much, Bucky Barnes,” Steve whispered, running his hand over the rough fabric of Bucky’s uniform. 

“When will I see you again?” Bucky asked, eyes more urgent now, aware of the position of the sun and how much time had passed. 

Steve shrugged, “Whenever you wish, my dear. If you wish me there, then that’s where I will be,”

Bucky’s eyes softened as he looked at all of the details of Steve’s face. 

“Ok, I’ll make sure to see you again,” Bucky said, making Steve smile. 

“I have a feeling that it might be sooner than either of us imagine, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing,” 

Steve wrapped his arms around Bucky’s neck before pressing a light kiss to his mouth, feeling the sharp intake of breath from the other man. 

“You can call me Steven, or Steve if you prefer,” he smiled, pulling back from Bucky and dipping his toes in the water which was still warm. 

Bucky gave him a warm smile before getting up and going back the way he had come. 

Getting involved with a human wasn’t something that Steve hadn’t done before, he had partaken in the pleasures of the flesh with many mortals over the millennia who he couldn’t recall the names of. 

A part of him felt the old routine start up again. Being with a human for a while, listen to their ramble about staying together for eternity hundreds of times, and then leaving when he couldn’t take it anymore. 

Another part of him wondered if James Barnes would be different, somehow. 

~

The next time he met his soldier he had been sitting on the edge of a cliff two weeks after their initial meeting, looking at the valley below, when his thoughts were interrupted by a voice. 

“Steve?”

He turned around and saw the very man who had taken up most of his thoughts since their meeting, his face breaking out into a smile as he laid eyes on the same ragtag uniform he remembered. 

“Hello, Bucky, isn’t this a surprise,” he said with warmth, feeling the turmoil that Bucky’s body had gone through since their last meeting and wanting to wrap the man in a blanket of warm safety. 

“My dear, what have you been through?” he asked quietly, looking at the dark circles under his eyes and how his uniform hung off him. 

Bucky’s mouth opened but no sound came out, he just fell to his knees and Steve rushed towards him, running his hands through the man’s hair. 

“I’m really glad to see you,” he whispered, a single tear escaping his glassy eyes. 

Steve made the air warm around them, vividly aware of the fact that Bucky was shivering and his frame was much smaller than it had been when they first met. 

“Darling, what have you been through?” Steve asked, coaxing Bucky to look him in the eyes. 

Bucky soundlessly opened his mouth, struggling to get the words out, but Steve didn’t rush him, simply waited until he was ready to share. 

“Kidnapped by this Nazi group, HYDRA, a science thing they have. I was tied to this table, and they gave me loads of shots, I have no idea what was in them, and I didn’t have any food for a week, but they kept pumping me full of shit and I kept screaming, it hurt-” Bucky’s voice broke and Steve wrapped his arms around him. 

Steve had seen broken humans before, many driven to madness in the next few years, and it always hurt him, but seeing Bucky like this was worse somehow. 

“Shh, you’re safe with me, my brave soldier. No harm can come to you while you are near me, I’ll make sure of it,”

He promised that he would protect the beautiful man in his arms, from that day onward, he would keep him safe from harm. 

“It hurt, and I was starving, but I couldn’t die, and I thought it would never end-”

“You’ll never have to go through that again as long as I am with you, my dearest one,”

Seeing his brave soldier in so much pain made Steve angry like he hadn’t been for centuries, and it gave him a terrible pain through his body as he realised that he could have helped. 

And it hurt Steve more than anything on this earth that he would fail to keep his promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready for Steve to mope around for the next seven decades while Bucky is the Winter Soldier :)


	3. Chapter 3

Steve followed Bucky into his battles from that day forward, never wanting to let him out of his sight after he had heard of the terrible things Bucky had been through. 

“You don’t have to look after me, Stevie, I’m fine,” Bucky protested as Steve wrapped the blanket tighter around him and made the air warmer, but Steve just gave him a light kiss, tracing his collarbone with a finger. 

“I know I don’t have to,” he smiled, looking into Bucky’s blue eyes, “but I want to. I don’t do a lot of things unless I want to. You’re special to me for some reason, a reason I’m still not sure about, but I want to protect you,”

Bucky’s cheeks heated up, his delicate skin reddening under Steve’s intense gaze. 

“I’m pretty sure I’m not worth all this Steve, but it’s not like I can stop you-”

“I would never do anything to you that you didn’t want,” Steve said, sitting back and dropping his hands from Bucky’s collar where he had been keeping Bucky’s blanket tucked up to his neck. 

Bucky reached out and grabbed his hand quickly, smiling, “No, I like it, it’s just that not many people like to take care of someone like me,”

Steve raised an eyebrow, “Why wouldn’t they? You’re kind, and you desire to help people. Not to mention you’re one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever seen,” he said, smiling as Bucky rubbed the back of his neck. 

After a moment of silence, Steve leaned forward again, pressing feather-light kisses to Bucky’s cheeks, nose, and finally lips, grinning to himself as he felt the other man sigh. 

“Stevie, this is dangerous,” Bucky started, but Steve just kissed him again. 

“My dear, you’re never in danger with me, I can take us anywhere, give you anything, and change the fate of humanity. I don’t do a lot of drastic things because humans always have trouble comprehending the changes, but I would do it for you,” Steve smiled, cupping Bucky’s face. 

Bucky looked deeply into Steve’s eyes, and they were kissing again, deeper than before. 

Steve bit at Bucky’s lip and moaned softly as Bucky’s mouth opened up and let him slip his tongue in. It was passionate, and Steve found it hard to remember that he had done this many times before. 

“You’re beautiful,” Bucky whispered as he pulled back to look Steve in the face, eyes darting to all of his features. 

Steve smiled, kissing him softly, “The last time I was called beautiful was by King James the sixth of England in 1618,”

Bucky frowned a little, “Has no one called you beautiful since then?” he asked, running his hands over Steve’s clothed torso in a comforting manner. 

Instead of replying, Steve shrugged, “I’ve taken lovers in the past, but not as many as most would think. I like to connect with people, and it often takes me a good while to find someone who will put up with me,” Bucky’s frown deepened and Steve laughed, kissing it away. 

“I find it hard to believe that people haven’t tried to jump you in the streets, your gorgeous, Stevie,” Bucky said, looking into Steve’s eyes like they held a deep secret he wished to discover. 

Steve ran his hands down Bucky’s back, wishing that there wasn’t a shirt between them, but he wouldn’t take it off without permission. 

“You’re so different from anyone I’ve ever met, Sargent Barnes,” Steve whispered, slipping onto Bucky’s lap and facing him, letting his fingers map out Bucky’s neck and shoulders. 

Bucky tilted his head to look at Steve again, kissing him then trailing gentle kissed along his jaw and neck. 

Steve moaned contentedly, feeling happier on this man’s lap than he had felt in decades. 

There was a tug at the hem of Steve shirt, which disappeared in an instant, letting Bucky stare at Steve’s bare chest. 

“Beautiful,” he whispered, kissing along Steve’s collar bone and making Steve sigh into the warm night. 

“At least let me return the favour,” Steve gasped, as Bucky sunk his teeth into the soft skin of the nape of his neck.

Bucky kissed him again, “Nope, I want to look after you for once,” he declared, and Steve couldn’t protest as he watched those bright blue eyes focus on him. 

“It may surprise you, but we’re similar in certain ways,” Steve said, tucking a stray hair behind Bucky’s ear and grinning as Bucky leaned into his touch, “Not many people want to look after me either, I’m always the one doing the caring and the worrying,”

“Well, how about we care for each other,” Bucky suggested, wrapping his arms around Steve’s waist and pulling his closer so that their chests were nearly touching. 

Steve grinned, running his hands through Bucky’s hair, “I would like that very much,” he said, kissing the other man again, smiling to himself. 

~

Bucky had to leave sooner than Steve had wanted, but he had a mission the next day that he needed to rest for. Steve had wanted to go on this mission with him, but Bucky had insisted that it was simple, urging Steve to take the day to himself. 

He spent his time by the lake, always having liked the water, and loving the sense of calm it gave him. 

The day passed in leisurely swimming and relaxing, letting Steve feel the power of nature around him. He had been by Bucky’s side for the majority of the past week, which he had loved, but nature would always call to him. 

Right when he was about to settle in for a nap at around seven at night (not that he needed to sleep, but he liked the sensation) Steve heard a group of men approaching his spot, deflating a little as he failed to recognise any of the footsteps. 

“-It’s the least we can do,” one of the men whispered to his teammates, getting Steve’s attention. 

“How did he manage to meet someone? And what kind of name is Stevie?” Another man asked, making Steve’s heart stop. 

“I don’t know, but it was Barnes’ dying wish, it’s the least we can do for him after he saved our lives,”

Steve’s blood turned to ice as he saw the group of men entering the clearing, all eyes turning to Steve where he sat. 

“You’re looking for me, aren’t you,” he whispered, getting up and walking towards them while he tried to keep his voice steady. 

The men looked at each other, then one of them spoke up, “Are you Stevie, and did you know James Barnes?”

“Yes,” Steve whispered, feeling the ground beneath him shake slightly. 

“Well, we’re very sorry to inform you that James Barnes fell off a train into a valley during our mission, officially he’s labelled MIA, but it’s impossible that he survived that fall. he was a great man and he wanted us to be the ones to tell you. We were Sargent Barnes’ closest teammates,” the man who spoke had a handlebar moustache and a sombre expression on his face. 

Steve barely heard what was said after that, he just felt his knees hit the ground, the soft grass dying where he touched it a turning brittle. 

“He said today would be easy,” he muttered, looking around him as tendrils of his grief escaped, killing the nearby grass, “he said he didn’t need me to protect him today,”

Steve looked at his hands, the pale skin too perfect in the sunlight, and he realised that he would never feel Bucky’s soft fingers again, or hear his laugh. 

At that moment, Steve let out a scream, bloodcurdling and louder than any normal human. The birds in the trees took flight, but Steve didn’t care as tears ran down his face. 

He planted his hands in the ground, watching as most of the trees around him withered, some even falling where they stood. The group of men in front of him looked around, apprehensive eyes watching him. 

“I promised him that he would be safe!” Steve yelled, letting his anger and grief expel out of his body, making the ground rumble violently, tears falling freely from his eyes as he imagined what Bucky must have felt like in his final moments. 

He screamed again, cursing death and his cruel games, not noticing that the group of men left the clearing in a hurry. 

As Steve let his anger be dispelled from him, he felt the earth constantly moving, sucking all the life out of the forest near him and screaming as he felt his body ache with the loss of a man who he might have been happy with. 

A man who understood him. 

A man who made him feel beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who else loves broken and powerful skinny Steve???
> 
> I survive off of comments and kudos so please validate me


	4. Chapter 4

After so many years, Steve had still never taken another love. It was difficult for him for the first few decades, avoiding all the humans around him who might try and make him feel anything again. 

Steve didn’t want to feel anything without Bucky. 

Staying in Europe wasn’t an option, all the scenery reminded him of Bucky and love that he had lost there. 

He could have gone anywhere in the world, anywhere he dreamed of, but it all felt so colourless without Bucky by his side. 

He wished that he could have wrapped Bucky up in a warm blanket, kept him safe from war and death and hardship, but he knew that his brave soldier wouldn’t want that. Bucky wanted to help people, and Steve would never do anything against Bucky’s wishes. 

As he kept going, Steve felt like he was abandoning Bucky and his memory and the time they had spent together. 

Leaving was what was best for him, and he hadn’t been to the United States since the civil war. 

“I wish you could have shown me your home, my dear,” he whispered, leaning against a lamp post and looking down the street in Brooklyn when children played almost a decade later, “I wish we could have built one for ourselves,”

Leaving Europe hadn’t done much to alleviate Steve’s aching heart, it might have made it worse in some cases. 

Steve could feel Bucky all around him, the feeling of his life and blood in the streets, of his childhood and family. 

Brooklyn had been Bucky’s home, and Steve would never get to see it with him. 

He felt what was left of Bucky’s family in the area, and he debated going to see them, but it would only bring them pain to remember him. 

Besides, Steve didn’t want to share what he had had with Bucky. That was theirs alone. 

As the decades went on, Steve stayed frozen in time like always. The civil rights movement came and went, being queer was no longer a crime, and Bucky wasn’t here to see it. 

“We could have had a home,” Steve whispered, looking into the horizon before him, watching as families walked around in the city bustle. 

“I should have kept you safe,” he said, feeling a tear fall from his eye and watching as it hit the ground and got absorbed by the soil, a sapling sprouting up from the spot. 

More and more time passed, but Steve never felt any relief from his heartbreak. New technology got invented, as well as medicine, and Steve felt a hollowness in his gut as he thought about how much Bucky would have loved to see this. He would have dragged Steve around the whole city to look at everything, showing him where he grew up and where he wanted to live. 

Steve could have given him that, but he was too late.

A man named Tony Stark, who was considered a genius by most, created a suit that would let him fly. Steve knew that he should talk to him, warn him of the power and danger that came with such knowledge, but he didn’t care. 

Aliens attacked the city and Steve knew that he should stop them, knowing that his power was probably what brought them here of all places, but he just watched as Stark and some others fought. 

But then he remembered what had attracted him to Bucky in the first place. 

Bucky had wanted to help people, he had wanted to save lives and had gotten mad at Steve when he had said that he wasn’t fighting. 

What would Bucky say if he saw how Steve stood on the sidelines?

A fire lit in Steve’s chest and he stood up from the base of the tree he had been sitting at, walking towards the fight. 

“Get out of here, no civilians allowed,” a fierce woman with red hair yelled at him, making Steve want to roll his eyes. 

He ignored her, walking father into the chaos, drawing the attention of the aliens. 

“You sensed me, didn’t you,” he said, not a question but a statement as he stood in front of a man in green who looked to be the leader. 

The man looked at Steve and his eyes widened, then he grinned. 

“Steve Rogers, the spirit of the earth, I didn’t know if you would show,” he remarked, looking casual but Steve could hear his heart speed up. 

“I don’t care for fighting nowadays, take your pets and leave,” Steve said, relaxing as he called the energy of the earth around him. 

The man in green laughed, now attracting the attention of the other fighters, “You don’t care for fighting? What happened to being one of the most fear spirits in the galaxy? Have you gone soft, Steve?” 

Steve felt the rushing of water and plants all around him, the ground trembling as he breathed deeply. 

“No,” he said, opening his eyes to show that he blue of his irises now glowing and covering the whites, “it’s just that I am yet to meet anyone who can actually beat me,”

With a wave of his hand, Steve felt the ground beneath him moving, the water in the pipes below him bursting to give him more access. He used the wind around him to knock the aliens off of their ships, smirking as they fell and got swallowed by the writhing earth. 

The man in green looked like he was regretting his words, staring at Steve with a gaping mouth. 

Water burst from the ground, flying up to suffocate the aliens who were still in the air. A strange sense of calm washed over Steve as he saw so many dying from his hand. 

Usually, Steve was a peaceful spirit, but not when it came to his home, and the place Bucky had once called home as well. 

“How are you-!”

“I’m the spirit of the earth,” Steve said, voice ten times louder than a normal human’s, “Everything around you is part of me and my soul. I protect those who live here and give them a safe place to grow and love. You should have stayed on Asgard where you belong,”

The man in green let out a scream as Steve crushed the vessel he was standing on, trapping his feet in the earth and watching the man’s composure melted faster than butter. 

“Spare me!” He yelled, grabbing at Steve’s pants as the ground wrapped around his knees, his eyes frantic.

“You might have been shown mercy a few decades ago, Asgardian, but I’ve lost the man I love, and there is no mercy left in me for any living creature. You should be grateful I’m not making your death a slow and painful one, you coward,”

Steve felt a tear roll down his face, “No one will ever be shown mercy by me for showing such cowardice. The man I loved died with fire, he died fighting, and no one on this earth that I protect should do anything else,”

“Please!” A different voice broke out of the din, making Steve turn to see another Asgardian, this one in a red cape, “Spare him, he will face justice on Asgard, our people do not want war with you, great earth spirit,” 

The man tried to get his footing on the shaking ground and he kneeled before Steve, not looking him in the eye, “Loki is foolish for having dared challenge you, earth spirit, but he should get punishment from his own people as we see fit,”

Steve considered this, his glowing blue eyes looking between the man in red and ‘Loki’. 

“As this is the first time in millennia that your people have dared challenge me, I suppose I could let him go, but he will be punished. I don’t care what he does to the earth, but I care about his cowardice. If the man I loved, a simple human, could die fighting, then so can he,” Steve looked at the man in red, seeing the relief wash over his face.

The man in red grovelled at Steve’s feet, “Thank you, oh great spirit, thank you. We shall hold a feast in your honour once we return to Asgard-”

“Not in my honour,” Steve interrupted, forcing the man to look him in the eye, “if you have a feast it shall be in honour of the man I love, who died a hero. His name was James Buchanan Barnes, and he deserved more than I could ever give him. You will hold the feast in his honour, or not at all,”

The man nodded quickly, bowing again before walking towards ‘Loki’ who was still trapped in the earth. 

Steve released him with a flick of the wrist and watched as the man in red handcuffed him. 

“Hey, point break, who’s the twink?” a voice broke the tense silence, and the man in red seemed to pale on the spot as he saw his teammates approaching. 

“Stark, I know that you think of everything as a game, but do not disrespect the great spirit,” the man in red said quickly, giving Steve another bow. 

Steve turned and saw that the man who had spoken was the one who he had meant to meet years ago. 

“Tony Stark, otherwise known as Iron Man, I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a while-”

“Please, great spirit, he meant no disrespect towards you, I will make sure that he doesn’t make such foolish comments in the future,” The man in red looked scared that Steve would kill Stark, but Steve shrugged. 

“A few ignorant words are no cause for punishment, but rather for education, wouldn’t you agree Asgardian?” Steve wanted to laugh at the man’s wide eyes. 

“Of course, anyone of us would be eternally grateful for your knowledge, great spirit-”

“You can call me Steve, Asgardian. You’ve been nothing but polite, and I’ve always had a soft spot for people with good manners,” Steve smiled at the man, who he still hadn’t learnt the name of. 

The man nodded, standing up, “Thank you, Steve. I am Thor, son of Odin, wielder of Mjolnir,”

Steve nodded, then looked towards the group of heroes which had gathered around him and Thor as they had talked. 

Among the group was Tony Stark, the red-haired woman who had told him to leave, a blonde man with a bow and arrow, and a green monster who stared at Steve with confusion. 

Stark seemed to come back to his senses, “Wait, who the hell are you again?”

Thor gulped, “Stark-”

“It’s alright, I can excuse ignorance,” Steve assured Thor before turning back to the group, “I am the spirit of the earth, of everything on this planet. I meant to talk to you once I saw you had created your suit, but I was… in mourning, I still am,” 

The woman with red hair raised an eyebrow, “Are you immortal or is it a lineage thing?” She asked, and Steve felt his lips twitch. No one had asked him that question in centuries. 

“I’m immortal. As long as the earth is still here, I’m alive,” Steve answered her question, then sensed a group walking up behind him. He whipped around to see military personnel coming towards them. 

Steve sighed, “I must take my leave. You can’t tell anyone about me, it’s something that people must discover for themselves, and something that they must choose to believe. I wish you well, Avengers,”

And with that, Steve was gone from the city, now sitting by a lake in a forest, looking into the water and imagining that some else’s face would smile back at him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a surgery about a week ago and I've been super busy, sorry for the long wait :|

Steve wondered if he would see the Avengers again, but he didn’t really want to. 

Being around humans, no matter how different they were, reminded Steve of Bucky (Who was he kidding, everything reminded him of Bucky)

It was just that the group of mortals had so much fight in them, and were willing to give up so much that Steve could almost feel Bucky’s same energy around him. 

“Fortis militis mei,” Steve whispered the Latin phrase, the dead language comforting him as he dipped his toes into the lake. 

“You had so much life,” he sighed, watching ripples in the water and the fish swimming below the surface. 

Steve’s head shot up as he felt footsteps approach him, though they were quiet. 

“I know you’re there,” he said, not looking back to the trees where the person was standing. 

The footsteps stopped, and Steve reached out with his power, recognising the person. 

“You’re one of the Avengers, the redhead,” he supplied, and he felt the woman walking towards him again, then she sat down beside him. 

“It took me a while to find you,” she said, neither of them looking at each other, “but I know something that you might find useful,”

Steve raised an eyebrow, “What is it?” He asked, looking at her. 

She looked back at him, her face expressionless, “I looked up the name you mentioned-”

“Bucky,” Steve closed his eyes, grief coming over him in waves. 

The redhead nodded, “I saw that he was killed by HYDRA in World War two, I’m sorry for your loss, he was-”

“I know who he was, and I know how he died. Did you find me just to remind me of my grief?” Steve asked, feeling his eyes glow with his rage. 

The woman didn’t move, but Steve heard her heart speed up in a show of fear. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, making her posture as unthreatening as possible, “I came to find you because the people who killed him, HYDRA, they’re still at large. We discovered them and I thought that you might want to help, I know how good revenge is for the heart. If you want to join us, you can find me at the tower, I’m Natasha Romanov,” she gave him a calm smile and stood up, walking out of the clearing. 

Steve stayed still. 

Then the ground started moving. 

The people who had hurt Bucky, who had taken him from this world, were still hurting others. Steve saw ripples in the water as his power swelled and the earth shook. 

“I will get revenge for you, my brave soldier,” Steve said, feeling his eyes glowing and watched as the grass grew tall and wrapped around him, the water and earth coming up and helping to cover him in soft green fabrics that flowed gracefully in the slightest hint of wind, weaving themselves into an outfit he had only worn a few times in his immortal life. 

It was the outfit he wore to war. 

~

Steve found the tower that he remembered from Loki’s visit to earth, knowing that this was the tower Natasha had told him about. 

He didn’t bother going through the security at the entrance, instead finding the room that Natasha was in and transporting himself there directly through the metal of the building. 

She froze the moment she saw Steve, taking him in with her eyes and assessing him before she spoke. 

She was smart. 

“Steve, have you decided to help us?” She asked, looking him in the eyes. 

For a moment, Steve looked around the room, seeing that almost all of it was made of metal, before he nodded. 

“I will help you, but if I lose control of myself, of my power, no one is safe. I try my best, and it’s only happened once in the last century, and that was when I was told about Bucky’s death. If you see my eyes glowing, and feel the ground shaking, it would be wise for you and your teammates to leave,” Steve explained, looking out the big window and watching the sunset over the New York skyline. 

Natasha nodded, “I make sure to pass that message along. Would you like to officially meet the team?” she asked. 

Steve nodded, following her through the metal tower. 

They walked into a common area and Steve saw the people who he had seen during the interaction with Loki. 

“Why is the earth twink here?” Stark asked, grabbing a gummy bear from the bag in front of him and tossing it into his mouth. 

Thor, who was sitting next to Tony, glared at him, “Stark, show more respect, everything in your life has come from Steve, he is the ground you walk on and the materials you use for your inventions,”

“Rather beautifully put, Thor,” Steve gave him a small smile before addressing the whole group, “I’ve decided to help you with your quest to take down HYDRA, as Natasha told me that they are still at large. They are the ones who took Bucky from me, and I will make sure that they are burnt to the ground before the next winter,” 

Steve felt his eyes glow, dimmer than a dangerous level, but enough to show them how seriously he took his words. 

“Alright, earth twink is helping us, hooray!” Stark pretended to celebrate, but Steve just felt a dull ache in his chest as he looked deeper into the man’s soul through his dark brown eyes. 

“Your father knew him,” he muttered, stepping closer, “They were friends, and your father was meant to supply him and his team with their weapons. His name was Howard, and he was a good friend, but not a good parent in more ways than many realise-”

Steve stopped, looking at Stark who seemed to have stopped breathing, his face white as a sheet. 

“I’m sorry,” Steve said, “I know that that was personal, I just haven’t looked into the soul of a human in decades, I forget that humans are so...secretive,”

The room remained silent and Stark let out a shaky breath. 

“It- It’s ok, you’re an all-powerful spirit and you’ve been alive for millions of years, of course, you can see the deepest parts of my mind-”

“Not all-powerful, and I wasn’t looking into your mind, Tony Stark, I was looking into your soul. Every human has a soul, and that soul comes from the earth, therefore it is part of me and my being. I can look into the soul of any human on the planet, I usually do it out of habit more than anything,” Steve explained. 

He could tell that Tony liked to know how things worked, and he wanted to put the man at ease. Humans were most foolish when they were upset, and Steve supposed that this applied to most living things. 

Clint’s brow furrowed, “Wait, do souls have shapes? Can you like see souls like a little glowing light inside of us-?”

Steve chuckled, “No, souls don’t have a shape, they aren’t exactly physical. It almost like the fact that you can feel the air around you, you know it’s there, you can feel it, but you can’t see it,”

The scientist, Bruce Banner, nodded, looking interested in what Steve was saying.

“We’re not here to talk about souls, however,” Steve said, letting his eyes glow a little brighter and feeling his hair float around him like gravity wasn’t holding him to the earth, “We’re here to take down the people who killed the man I loved,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fortis militis mei = My brave soldier


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YEEEEEEE I'M VERY HAPPY WITH THIS CHAPTER AND I HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY IT :)))))

The HYDRA base looked empty, and the humans on the team wanted to bust in and get any information left behind, but Steve stopped them with a flick of his wrist, the earth grabbing their feet to keep them in place before they could make a move. 

“There’s about a dozen people standing around something big and metal underground. There’s another person sitting in the metal thing, they’re all covered in weapons. I’ll go in first, then you can come get your information,” Steve said, still holding them in place with the earth beneath them. 

Tony looked annoyed, “You can’t just-” 

He stopped as he saw Steve’s face, his eyes glowing as bright as the sun and his clothes dancing around as if they were in a windy field. 

“I recognise those footsteps,” Steve whispered, walking lightly towards the base. 

He felt himself moving through to earth to enter the base, not hearing anything as he found the stairs down to the basement where all of the people were. 

Now that he was closer, he could feel eleven people in there, ten of them standing around the room and one of them sitting in the metal thing, which he could now feel was a chair of sorts. 

What made him stumble was how familiar the man sitting in the chair felt. 

“-He needs to complete his mission,” One of the men said, sounding almost scared as Steve felt him near the chair and the man sitting in it. 

“I know that, but if we don’t reset him, he’ll break out of his conditioning. Do you want to be the one to tell Peirce that we lost the Asset?”

“No!” The man who had spoken first replied, sounding terrified. 

“Then he must be reset,” The other man said, sounding pleased that he had won the argument. 

Steve couldn’t help it anymore, he stepped out into the room, his clothes billowing around him and his eyes glowing bright. 

Everyone in the room turned to him, some pulling weapons, and some transfixed by the sight in front of them. 

“Who are you?” Asked the man who had won the argument with his coworker, he was wearing heavy black clothing, obviously ready to fight something and pointing his gun at Steve who wanted to laugh. 

“I am someone you have known your whole life, and yet we have never met,” Steve answered, his voice louder than a normal human’s locking eyes with the man. 

The man raised an eyebrow, “Whatever, nice contacts, but you can’t be here,” he said, and Steve couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up, making the man ever more confused. 

“It’s been a while since a human dared to talk to me like that-” Steve’s throat closed up as he looked around the room and saw the man who was sitting in the chair. 

“Bucky,” he whispered, reaching out a hand to touch him. 

Bucky didn’t look at him, staying completely still. 

“My darling, what have they done to you?” Steve muttered, stepping closer to Bucky and putting a soft hand on his shoulder. 

“Get away from the Asset,” another one of the men said, poking Steve in the back with his gun. 

Steve felt his eyes shine brighter than ever before, the ground shaking and rippling beneath him. 

“What did you call him?” Steve asked, deathly calm. 

The man didn’t answer, so Steve turned around locking eyes with him, “What did you call him?”

“Th-the Asset, he’s the Asset-” the man mumbled, fear covering his face. 

Steve’s vision turned to red, “He is James Barnes!” He said, voice shaking the room, “He is the man I lost, and you’ve turned him into a machine! I grieved him for seventy years, and you’ve been torturing him and keeping him prisoner-”

He suddenly went quiet as a gunshot went off, a bullet hitting Steve in the side. 

The bullet was made of a metal Steve rarely saw on the surface naturally, and he picked it up from when it had hit the floor, examining it for a minute before throwing it back at the man who had shot at him, feeling satisfaction as it impaled his throat and the man died instantly. 

All of the men in the room started shooting at Steve, the room now filled with the deafening sound of gunfire. 

Steve grit his teeth and threw himself over Bucky, knowing that the men wouldn’t care if they shot him. He made the stone below them rise up like a wave of earth and cover them from the spray of bullets, making a small dome. 

“My darling, I will get you out of here, and I will keep you safe,” Steve promised, looking at Bucky who seemed to be in a confused daze, “I swear to you, my love, you will live in peace for the rest of time, and we will be together again,”

“Are you my handler?” Bucky whispered softly, and Steve felt his heart break, 

“No, my love, I am Steve, your Stevie, the man who loves you. I’ve loved you for decades, and I thought I had lost you. I will protect you from all the hardships in this world once we are out of here and you will never want for anything again,”

Bucky didn’t say anything, and Steve felt his whole body drain of energy. 

“I hope you will remember soon, my darling,” Steve whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Bucky’s forehead and turning to face the wall of stone he had created. 

With a flick of his wrist, Steve sent the wall moving out from them, crushing the HYDRA agents between the stone wave and stone walls. 

A whirring alerted him to the presence of his teammates he had trapped above ground. 

“Listen, Steve, you can’t just-”

“Bucky is here,” Steve whispered, looking over at his love who was still sitting in the metal chair. 

“My darling, can you walk?” He asked, stepping forward and placing a hand on Bucky’s arm, feeling his heart shatter as Bucky flinches at his touch. 

“The Asset does not require maintenance. What is the mission?” Bucky asked, looking straight ahead. 

“My love, there is no mission, you will never have to want for anything again, I promise-”

Bucky didn’t seem to hear him, and Steve wanted to fall to the ground in grief. 

“What is my mission?” Bucky asked again and Steve reached out to grab his hand. 

“Your only mission is to live a happy life, and to take care of yourself. I will take care of you, my dear. I love you, and I will never stop loving you,” Steve felt a tear fall down his cheek, hitting the stone floor. 

Suddenly Bucky took in a deep and rasping breath, “Steve,” Bucky breathed out, still not looking at anything, “I don’t want to forget-”

His eyes conveyed a form of fear that Steve hadn’t seen in centuries, “Bucky, you won’t have to worry about anything,” he promised, holding Bucky’s hand and looking down when he felt metal. 

“My love, what have they put you through?” Steve whispered, feeling tears well in his eyes as he looked at Bucky’s arm and saw it replaced by cold metal. 

He put his hand over it and felt the entire room shake as he felt it connecting to the bones and nerves under Bucky’s skin. 

“My love, How are you not screaming in pain? This machine is more brutal than medieval torture devices,” Steve felt the hot tears streaming down his face. He felt the endings of Bucky’s nerves connecting to the arm, the metal tearing at the flesh and bone every time he moved. 

Bucky didn’t say anything, but he finally looked at Steve, their eyes meeting truly for the first time in seventy years. 

“I know you,” Bucky whispered after what felt like hours, and Steve couldn’t help the sob that escaped his throat as he shakily put a hand up to Bucky’s face and gently brushed his hair behind his ear. 

“Yes, my dear, you know me. We met by a lake- I haven’t been able to look at a lake without thinking of you ever since- and when I heard that you had fallen, I nearly destroyed the whole world in my grief. But you’re here, my love, you’re safe now,” Steve felt more tears fall from his eyes as he kept his eyes locked on Bucky’s not daring to look away out of fear that, if he did, Bucky would disappear. 

Steve nearly used the earth below them to crush his teammates as Tony cleared his throat, shocking him as he put himself between Bucky and the others. 

“Alright, can anyone explain what has happened in the last twenty minutes?” Tony asked, glaring a little at Steve. 

“Bucky is alive,” Steve whispered, feeling an unbearable weight lift off of him as he said the words. 

Bucky is alive. 

And this time, he would keep his promise. 

~

Steve didn’t want to leave Bucky’s side at all as he carefully coaxed him to stand up, trying to help Bucky in any way he could think of as they made their way to the jet they had taken to get to the base. 

“My darling, does anything hurt? Are you hungry, thirsty? When was the last time you slept?” Steve didn’t want to pile questions onto Bucky, but he felt like he had failed so terribly to keep his love safe the first time, and he wasn’t going to take any chances. 

“No maintenance required,” Bucky repeated, voice monotone as his eyes continued to stare at nothing. 

Steve felt tears fall down his cheeks as they entered the jet, both of them staying at the back at the jet while the others left them alone, moving away quickly. 

“Why are you crying?” Bucky asked quietly, and Steve sucked in a breath, looking up to see Bucky’s eyes now fixed on his face. 

He shook his head slightly, “Nothing, my love, I am simply overcome with emotions. I don’t think I’ve ever cried for a human before, but you always manage to bring out something in me,” Steve traced the lines of Bucky’s clothes, wishing he could vanish them and bring Bucky to a lake to bathe him and take care of him.

“Why do you call me that?” Bucky asked, and Steve felt the ache in his chest again. 

“Why do I call you what, my love?”

“That,” Bucky said, obediently moving where Steve’s hands guided him towards a seat, “Why do you call me ‘my love’ when you are my handler? No handler has ever called me that before,”

Steve’s gut felt like it had been punched and he felt his knees give out as he fell to the floor, the cold metal unforgiving as he silently wept, “I am not your handler,” he whispered, looking up and locking eyes with Bucky, “I would never do that to you. I love you, Bucky, and I will love you until the earth is nothing more than specks of dust floating through space. I know you don’t believe me, and you have no reason to, but please understand that I will never hurt you as long as I am alive,”

Bucky stood still, his eyes conveying a deep confusion that made Steve more distraught. 

A moment of silence passed, neither Steve nor Bucky speaking, both of them holding their breathes. 

Then, after what felt like hours, Bucky spoke. 

“You liked to tuck blankets into my collar to keep me warm when you thought I was asleep,” 

Steve let a sob escape his lips, clutching in vain at the floor below him and letting the tears fall freely from his eyes as a warm hand was placed on his back, making him look up and see Bucky kneeling next to him, his eyes still confused yet comforting. 

“I’m sorry. I remember a little bit, I know that you looked after me, but a lot of it is blank,” he muttered, trying to comfort Steve by running his thumb in circles on Steve’s back. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Steve muttered, not wanting to lean into Bucky’s touch but his body ached for the comfort more than words could explain. It had been decades since he let a human touch him with more than politeness, and the fact that it was Bucky who was touching him, comforting him, made his whole body react ten times stronger. 

Steve felt a slight shiver come from Bucky and he was immediately on him, fretting over his collar and pulling it higher, “Is it cold? Are you sick? I’ll warm you up in a second- how many layers are you wearing? You need more, it’s barely spring-”

“I remember you worrying,” Bucky whispered, leaning in slightly to Steve’s touch as he took off his shawl and wrapped it securely around Bucky’s neck. 

Without thinking, Steve laughed, “How could I not, you were fighting in a war,”

Steve’s fingers stilled as he looked up to meet Bucky’s eyes, neither of them daring to look away. 

“I called you beautiful,” Bucky muttered, still staring deeply into Steve’s eyes, “I called you beautiful the night before-” he took a deep breath, “I thought you were beautiful from the moment I saw you, but I didn’t know that I loved you until that night when you told me that you would look after me,”

Bucky’s eyes never left Steve’s as he reached up and cupped Bucky’s face with his hand, soothing him with soft touches and warm air. 

“I dreamt of us having a home,” Steve whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind Bucky’s ear and letting his heart flutter as Bucky leaned into the touch, “I saw couples living happily and my only emotion was envy,”

There was a moment of silence as Bucky ran his fingers over Steve’s torso, tracing the lines of his body as Steve stayed still, not daring to move out of fear of Bucky stopping. 

“You’re still beautiful,” Bucky whispered, looking Steve in the eyes and stilling his hands as they rested on Steve’s hips. Steve tentatively brought his other hand up to cup Bucky’s face and gently trace his cheekbones with his warm fingers. 

“I know that we never had a home before, it all happened so fast, but-” Bucky let out a sigh, holding onto Steve just a little tighter, “Would you let us have one? A Home?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a super long chapter but I hope you guys like it!! :)

As they flew back to the Avengers tower, Steve held Bucky in his arms, outright glaring at Tony when he suggested that Steve should leave to ‘get his energy out’, whatever that meant. 

Steve could stay at Bucky’s side for the rest of time, as far as he was concerned, and he knew that he need to get his soldier taken care of. 

“I’m going to give you a bath,” Steve muttered, petting Bucky’s hair and leaving light kisses along his jawline, “I’m going to take care of you, I promise. You’ll need to tell me where you want to live, but I can take care of everything from that point onwards. As long as I’m alive, you will never need to lift a finger for anything you desire,” 

Bucky didn’t seem to belive Steve, and his gut filled with sadness as he thought about all the pain his love had been put through, but he didn’t want to think about that right now. He would simply have to show Bucky how much he loved him, and he would make sure that he kept his promise to keep his soldier safe, no matter the cost. 

“Love, do you have any wounds?” Steve asked lightly, running his hand through Bucky’s hair, even though it was greasy and dirty, sometimes trapping his hand with knots. When was the last time Bucky had been looked after?

“No maintenance required,” Bucky muttered, quiet as his eyes grew heavy, his head on Steve’s lap and his body spread out on the row of seats. 

Steve let out a small sigh, leaning back and resting his head on the metal wall of the jet as he closed his eyes and fought to keep his voice steady, “Alright, my darling,” he muttered, “No maintenance required,”

~

Steve was not ready for the jet to land. He wanted to stay like this, with Bucky’s head on his lap while he slept peacefully. 

“It’s time to wake up, my love,” Steve whispered, gently shaking Bucky’s shoulder as he continued to comb his other hand through Bucky’s hair. 

Bucky stirred slightly, his eyes opening slightly before he sprang up in alarm, his whole body tense as he unsheathed a knife, his position defensive and on edge. 

Steve got up slowly as to not scare Bucky, even if he couldn’t be injured by weapons as simple as knives. He carefully raised a hand before he spoke, “Bucky, you are in a jet right now, we just landed, I just woke you up,” 

Frantic eyes met Steve’s and he had to stop himself from running up to Bucky and simply throwing his arms around him to give him any comfort he could muster. 

“Please put the knife away,” Steve said, showing his emotions on his face as he looked at Bucky, knowing that he would need to be open about everything he did around Bucky for him to gain his trust. 

“Your name is Steve,” Bucky whispered as he slowly lowered the knife, and Steve tried to stomp down the spark of hope that blazed his chest as he nodded, still giving Bucky a smile. 

Steve took a step forward, then another as Bucky didn’t attack or raise his knife again, “Yes, my love, my name is Steve. I was going to take you to a nearby lake once we leave here, you look like you need to relax,”

Bucky seemed to consider Steve’s words for a moment before he let out a shaky breath, nodding. 

Just as Steve was about to say something, the door of the jet opened, showing a man with an eyepatch and about a dozen more men dress in heavy black combat gear, fingers on the triggers of their guns. 

Steve immediately stepped in front of Bucky, shielding him from the men standing there. 

The Avengers walked towards the door of the jet, only Natasha not looking shocked at the sight of the men standing there. 

“You called them,” Steve whispered, turning to her. 

Natasha’s face didn’t change, but Steve felt her heart accelerate, and that was enough answer for him. 

“Do you forget who I am?” Steve asked, feeling his eyes glow as the ground below them rumbled ominously. 

The rapid increase of her heartbeat answered his question once again, and Steve felt the overwhelming sense of rage cloud his mind again. 

“You wanted them to take him, to use him, to get information out of him-”

“On the contrary, we wanted to help him,” The man with eye patch said, looking at Steve like he had much more important things to care about, “You can leave the Winter Soldier with us, we’ll take care of him-”

“I lost him once,” Steve felt his voice grow louder than a normal human’s, “I would suggest your don’t tempt fate. The people who took him from me before are now slowly suffocating under hundreds of pounds of solid rock, and that was before I could think of a slower way to kill them. I’ve had time to think about it now, do you want to be my trial run?”

The other Avengers looked at him in shock at his words, and he turned his glare onto them. 

“Those guys are still alive?” Stark asked. 

Steve grinned, “Only some of them. Did you forget that I am earth itself? Earthquakes, hurricanes, storms, fires, floods, poison,  _ death itself _ , all of it comes from me,” Steve was breathing heavier now, still shielding Bucky from anyone’s view. 

Stark seems to be the first person to snap out of the state of shock, now backing away slowly, turning to face the man with the eyepatch. 

“Fury, you don’t want to fight this guy, you can’t win-"

“We’ll see, Stark,” the man said, raising an eyebrow at Steve. 

“Steve,” Bucky’s voice was soft as Steve turned to face him quickly, crouching down, “What’s happening?”

Steve wanted to yell at himself. He was putting Bucky in danger, the one thing he had promised not to do, and now he needs to get him out of here. 

“My love, I will transport you to a nearby lake. It will feel… strange the first time you travel like this, but it is the only way I can get you to safety. Once we are away you can show me where you want to build our home, and I will make it happen,” Steve leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Bucky’s forehead, holding him tightly, “Can I send you there now, my love?”

Bucky hesitated for a moment before he nodded, looking Steve in the eyes. Steve felt tears well up in his throat as he saw the trust there, the small flash of hope. 

“Alright. I will see you soon, my dear,” Steve whispered before he summoned his power, sending Bucky through the energy of the planet until he was next to a deserted lake in France, not far from where they had first met.

With Bucky taken care of, Steve could focus all of his attention on the man who had dared suggest that Bucky could be taken away from him again. 

“I would suggest you start running,” Steve said, feeling the whole earth at his fingertips, “But that won’t be enough to save you,”

The ground moved under the man and the group around him, making it hard for them to keep their footing. The man with the eyepatch was yelling for his men to ‘Shoot, goddamn it!’ but it was already too late. Steve used the earth to grab their feet, keeping them trapped where they were. 

“What are you?” The man with the eyepatch asked. 

Steve grinned, letting his eyes glow, “I am the earth,” he answered simply, soaking up the look of terror on the man’s face before he used the earth to drag them deeper, now they were up to their waists in the stone. 

The Avengers gave him terrified looks, no one making a noise as Steve walked forward, stepping right in front of the man with the eyepatch who was still held down by the earth, buried up to his shins. 

Crouching down, Steve looked into the man’s eye, assessing him before he stood up once again. He had seen the man’s soul, what he wanted to do, and what he was capable of.

“You might think that you’re special,” Steve said, turning around and staring down the whole group, “but I’ve seen this happen before. All of it. Someone comes into power that they think they’re ready for, they use that power to get what they want, everyone else be damned, and they don’t see their own demise staring them in the eyes,”

Steve let out a soft chuckle, “I don’t choose to trust a lot of people, and I thought that I had made the right choice to trust you,” Steve turned to look at Natasha who was still standing next to the Avengers, “but I was obviously mistaken,”

Natasha’s heart rate sped up incredibly fast, her eyes growing wide as she spoke quickly, “I didn’t know they would be here, I just told Fury that we had found the Winter Soldier, that’s it. It was a regular debrief-”

“Yeah, Steve, I was there. Natasha just said that we had found the Winter Soldier, and that we were heading back, the rest of it was boring agent talk,” Tony tried to defend his friend, and Steve had to admit that he was impressed by the bravery of the man. 

“Stark, you’re a smart man, we both know that, but this isn’t something you can control,” Steve gave him a sympathetic glance, turning back to the group of men, “You didn’t see into their minds, and you don’t know how much danger your friend put Bucky in-”

“What was he going to do?” Natasha asked, a mask back up on her face so that Steve’s only gauge on her emotions was her heartbeat. 

Steve felt the ground rumble slightly as the thought of it, “They wanted to experiment on him, take his blood and try to replicate the serum he has in him. They were going to use him for the same purposes as HYDRA, and simply let the highest bidder have him,”

The Avengers were silent as Steve spoke, their eyes showing him how shocked they were at the intentions of the men. 

“He’s useful,” Fury said, scowling at Steve, “He’s been trained to perfection, and he follows orders, the perfect sol-”

“Don’t you dare,” Steve cut him off, feeling his power cluster around him, the air buzzing with the build-up, “Don’t you dare call him that. I met James Barnes before any of you existed- before you were even a thought in your parent’s minds. I love him more than anything on this earth, including humanity itself, so if I need to eradicate your entire species to keep him safe, so be it!”

His final words rang out in the silence, all of the people around him too terrified to say a word. 

“I am going to look after the man I love, and you should all pray that we never meet again because those meetings will be far less pleasant than this one,” Steve gave them all one final glare before he used the earth’s energy to travel into the clearing where he had sent Bucky. 

~

As soon as he caught sight of Bucky his whole body relaxed, a pleased smile appearing on his face. 

“Are you alright?” Bucky asked, getting up from where he had been sitting by the lake, stepping close to Steve, “Those guys didn’t look too friendly,”

Steve felt the swell of affection in his chest at Bucky’s words, “Yes, my dear, I’m fine. They weren’t the most friendly, but it’s nothing I can’t handle,”

Bucky relaxed a little at Steve’s words, his shoulders not as tense. 

“How hot do you like your bath?” Steve asked, gently touching the clasps that kept Bucky’s dark gear on him and releasing them slowly, 

“I-” Bucky looked as though the thinking made him confused and Steve quickly backtracked. 

“I’ll just warm the water, you can tell me if it’s too hot or too cold until it’s perfect,” Steve had removed all of the heavy gear from Bucky’s torso so that he was now only wearing a thin shirt. 

Bucky nodded at Steve’s suggestion, letting Steve take off all of his gear and lay them neatly on the grass. Steve was smiling wider now, feeling ecstatic that Bucky trusted him enough to go without his weapons. 

“You don’t have to take off your other clothes if you don’t want to,” Steve offered as he removed Bucky’s last pieces of gear. 

Instead of taking or rejecting the offer, Bucky looked hurt. Steve panicked, “What did I say, my love? What have I done that’s upset you?”

Bucky’s mouth moved to form words, but it took a few moments for him to finally get this sentence out. 

“You don’t want to see me now that I look like this,”

Steve felt his whole body fill with horror towards himself at the words, quickly moving closer to touch Bucky’s arms and hold him closer than common sense would recommend. 

“No! No, my darling, my love, my most beautiful rose, I love you, and of course I want to look at you, even touch you if I may, but I wondered if you might be more comfortable with your clothes on,” Steve reached up and ran his fingers over the cheekbones of Bucky’s face, holding him close. 

Bucky looked at him, and Steve thought he saw the faintest hint of a smile on his face, “Stevie, I don’t remember a lot, and I’m not the same person you knew seventy years ago, but I know that you make me feel safe, you make me feel wanted,”

Steve felt his heart swell at Bucky’s words before he leaned in slightly, snaking his arms over Bucky’s shoulders, “Bucky, would you like to take off your clothes and let me bathe you?”

Bucky let out a little laugh before he nodded, going to take off his shirt, but Steve stopped him, snapping his fingers so that the clothes were off of Bucky in a heartbeat, now laying beside the rest of his gear. 

They both moved towards the water, Bucky getting in slowly and grinning at Steve while he relaxed into the warmth of it. Steve held out a hand and Bucky took it, pulling him closer so that Bucky was now standing between Steve’s legs as he sat at the edge of the water. 

“Let me look after you,” Steve whispered, leaning down and cupping water in his hands to pour over Bucky’s shoulder, gently massaging the flesh one as Bucky sighed into the touch. 

“Stevie,” Bucky let out a small moan as Steve traced down his chest with his graceful fingers. 

“Hush, my love,” Steve murmured, “I will take care of everything,”

Steve used his power to summon cleansing products, the most luxurious he could find that wouldn’t damage the ecosystem of the lake. 

He poured some of the soap into his hands and lathered them up, rubbing Bucky’s skin gently, massaging the muscles as he went. Bucky let out a contented sigh and Steve smiled, loving the feeling of providing for his lover. A long as he is alive, Bucky will never want for anything, of that he is certain. 

Without thinking, Steve started humming softly, an old song he barely recognised from the Elizabethan era more than four hundred years ago. He thought back, trying to place the song before the lyrics rushed into his brain and he sang, running soap over Bucky’s back. 

“ _ Alas my love you do me wrong _

_ To cast me off discourteously; _

_ And I have loved you oh so long _

_ Delighting in your company. _

_ Greensleeves was my delight, _

_ Greensleeves my heart of gold _

_ Greensleeves was my heart of joy _

_ And who but my lady Greensleeves _ ,”

Bucky looked at him, a soft plea to continue, and Steve found that he could never say no to those eyes, so he kept singing. 

“ _ I have been ready at your hand _

_ To grant whatever thou would'st crave; _

_ I have waged both life and land _

_ Your love and goodwill for to have. _

_ Greensleeves was my delight, _

_ Greensleeves my heart of gold _

_ Greensleeves was my heart of joy _

_ And who but my lady Greensleeves _ ,”

Steve shut his eyes for a moment, remembering what life had been like when he’d heard this song for the first time. Contrary to popular belief, Greensleves wasn’t written by Henry VIII for his second wife, Anne Boleyn. This song came after that, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, King Henry’s daughter.

‘She was  _ certainly _ a sight’ Steve remarked internally, remembering some of the few occasions he had seen the Queen. She had scars all over her skin from the lasting marks of smallpox, but that wasn’t where the  _ details _ of the Queen’s appearance had stopped. She wore a pure white face powder all over her visible skin, which wasn’t very much as she neared the end of the reign. The powder contained led, commonly used by many in that time, yet poisonous. Once Steve had seen her with led powder so heavy that it was nearly half an inch thick, her face unable to move at the risk of cracking the powder and showing just how much she was wearing. 

Steve shivered slightly at the memory, his hands stilling for a moment before he continued to wash Bucky, now moving over to his hair, using his thin fingers to evenly spread the soaps. 

Bucky listened closely as Steve spoke about everything and nothing at once, getting lost in the stories he told so well from his time as the earth. Steve finished washing Bucky, giving him a smile and kissing him on the forehead as he stood, gesturing for Bucky to follow. 

As Steve used a towel to dry Bucky, always using a feather-light touch, Bucky spoke. 

“Why me?” He asked, making Steve still his movements and look at Bucky. 

Steve stepped closer, “What do you mean, my darling?”

Bucky looked at Steve and tried to form words to explain his feelings, “You’re amazing, Stevie, and you’ve done so much, why did you choose me? I’m nobody, there’s nothing special about me. You’re beautiful, Stevie, and you can have anyone you want, literally anyone you want, so why did you choose me?”

There was a moment of silence and Bucky felt his gut filling with dread. Now that he had said everything, he knew how true they were. Steve deserved better than someone who could barely remember him. He wanted to run, far away, before Steve could confirm his fears, but he felt a small hand reach and grasp his wrist. 

“I didn’t choose you,” Steve said, still holding Bucky’s wrist, “In a lot of ways, I have no idea why I care about you so much, finding someone you love doesn’t happen every day. In truth, love has always been a mystery to me. I know all the secrets of the planet, more than any human to ever live, and yet I have never understood love. Until I met you,"

Steve stepped closer to Bucky, wrapping his arms around his neck and pressing their chests together so that they could share some warmth, “Bucky, I know that I don’t have to stay with you, but I want to. When we met, it had been centuries since anyone had called me beautiful, I had trouble remembering what it was like to be wanted like that, but you helped me remember that. I can give you anything you desire, anything you could ever need, and I would do it in a heartbeat if you simply asked,”

Bucky sucked in a shaky breath, still holding Steve close. 

Both of them knew that there would be hard times, especially since they were technically on the run now, but Bucky couldn’t care less, as long at Steve was with him, and as long as Steve wanted him, he was content. 

“Let’s build a home,” Steve whispered, leaning close enough that they were now sharing their breath. Bucky nodded, and in a moment of bravery, leaned forward to capture Steve’s lips with his own. 

Steve let out a soft sigh as Bucky kissed him, opening his mouth a little and feeling Bucky’s lips, rough, and chapped, and  _ perfect _ . 

“You’re so beautiful,” Steve muttered as he pulled back, running his hands over Bucky’s bare muscled torso, “You have no idea how much I missed you, my darling,”

Bucky smiled, “I missed you too, Stevie,” he held Steve close and felt the smaller man rest his head on Bucky’s chest, “They wiped me, a lot, and they made me forget a lot, but I never forgot you, not really. Your eyes are blue like the sky and I would think of them whenever I felt like I was going to break, even if I didn’t know why I was thinking of them,”

Steve snuggled closer to Bucky, summoning a soft bed of grass below them so that they could lie down. 

He gently laid Bucky down, sitting next to him and running his fingers through Buckys hair, not aware of the flowers that started blossoming around him as he continued to lie next to Bucky in silence, touching his hair and relaxing in the sunlight. 

“I’ll build us a home,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am considering making this a series, so you can let me know if you want that in the comments :)

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Tumblr to support me :)  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/rox-fanfics


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